ASHLEE SIMPSON

Is it any big surprise that on the heels of her latest release, Ashlee Simpson and her Fall Out Boy, Pete Wentz, announced their engagement, reminding anyone who cares that she still deserves the spotlight? After a lacklustre stretch, it’s clear the pop chameleon needs all the help she can get, since she certainly isn’t going to make it on her music alone.

Bittersweet is another testament to the fact that Simpson has little to offer, this time taking the form of an edgeless, forgettable pop rock that desperately tries to hit the mark but almost always falls short. No matter how glossy the production, it’s impossible not to notice that Simpson can’t sing well enough to carry an album, while her peppy, Avril-lite personality comes off as contrived and as obnoxious as Lavigne’s.